The coprolite is round in shape and over 7cm long. Tiny analysis of thin areas of the coprolite exposed six small, round, organic structures between 50-150 micrometers long. This discovery also adds to the few recognized examples of nematode eggs preserved within the coprolites of Mesozoic animals.
Coprolites collected in Nong Yakong village, Chaiyaphum Province, Thailand. Credit: Nonsrirach et al., CC-BY 4.0
Ancient predator was infected by nematodes and numerous other parasitic species.
Proof of ancient parasites that as soon as contaminated a water predator over 200 million years ago has been discovered preserved in fossilized feces, according to a current study published in PLOS ONE. The research study was performed by Thanit Nonsrirach of Mahasarakham University, Thailand and associates.
Parasites are a typical and essential part of environments, but ancient parasites are tough to study due to a poor fossil record. Parasites often populate the soft tissues of their host, which rarely protect as fossils.
There are, nevertheless, cases where traces of parasites can be identified within fossilized feces (coprolites). In this study, Nonsrirach and associates explain evidence of parasites in a Late Triassic coprolite from the Huai Hin Lat Formation of Thailand, which is over 200 million years of ages.
The coprolite is round in shape and over 7cm long. Microscopic analysis of thin areas of the coprolite exposed six little, round, natural structures in between 50-150 micrometers long.
This is the first record of parasites in a terrestrial vertebrate host from the Late Triassic of Asia and an unusual glance into the life of an ancient animal that was obviously contaminated by several parasitic species. This discovery likewise adds to the couple of recognized examples of nematode eggs protected within the coprolites of Mesozoic animals. These findings are therefore a significant contribution to scientific understanding of the circulation and ecology of parasites of the far-off past.
The authors add: “Coprolite is a considerable paleontological gold mine, containing several undiscovered fossils and expanding our understanding of ancient ecosystems and food cycle.”
Referral: “First discovery of parasite eggs in a vertebrate coprolite of the Late Triassic in Thailand” by Thanit Nonsrirach, Serge Morand, Alexis Ribas, Sita Manitkoon, Komsorn Lauprasert and Julien Claude, 9 August 2023, PLOS ONE.DOI: 10.1371/ journal.pone.0287891.